Back at her house, she paced as she made calls. First was to Gage.
“I’m going to take Duke around to talk to the poker group, unless you object.”
“That seems harmless enough. We already got everything they could share or were willing to. Just pay attention in case he teases out something interesting.”
“Will do.” Cat hadn’t expected a different answer, but this was one way to keep Gage up to date on Duke’s activities. He had asked her to keep him informed.
“One other thing,” she continued. “Nobody knows what Larry was working on. And Ben Williams commented how strange it was that someone would take only Larry’s laptop. Did we find anything else missing?”
“His phone. These days everyone has a smartphone. We couldn’t find one.”
That sent a trickle of unease running down her spine. “Damn,” she murmured.
“Yeah,” Gage answered. “You didn’t know that?”
“I got thrown out of there because I knew him, remember? I shouldn’t even be on the case.”
Gage snorted. “I use what I got. Anyway, we haven’t released the scene yet. I sure as hell hope we can find if something else is gone. It might be a clue.”
“How are we supposed to know?”
After she disconnected, she wondered if she should even tell Duke about the phone. Wait, she decided. Just wait. And there was that big question: How were they supposed to know if anything else was missing? Other items, such as cash, no one would know about. From what she’d read in the reports, they hadn’t found Larry’s wallet, either. But all those things could fit with a robbery.
Except Larry’s horrific murder.
She felt Duke watching her from the kitchen. She turned to look his way. “The scene hasn’t been released.”
He stood. “You said it had been.”
“I said it might have been. Gage said we’re still not through.”
Duke frowned. “It’s taking a long time.”
“We’re a small department. Nobody wants to overlook something.”
He nodded but clearly was disturbed. “And the poker group?”
“I’ll start making calls.”
It took most of the rest of the day to reach everyone on the list. She felt as if Duke would be happy to start with just one, but that would delay setting up the rest for meetings. She just kept plugging away until she had two appointments laid out.
“Was everyone agreeable?” Duke asked.
“Some of them even sounded eager. None sounded reluctant. Only two could schedule at this time.”
“Good starting point. When’s the first?”
“Matt Keller this evening. He owns the organic food store. He said he’d come over here tonight around seven. Next is Bud Wicke, tomorrow at lunchtime. We can meet him at the garage.”
“And the rest?”
“They’ll probably spread out over a few days. They’ll call me.”
Duke nodded.
“Mostly evenings. Most of them work, and only one is retired.”
“Okay,” Duke said.
“Why don’t you get comfortable?” she asked. She was convinced he intended to remain planted here until Matt arrived. He must be worried that he might miss something.
He followed her into the living room, and at her suggestion, he sat at one end of the couch. She settled in the Boston rocker that her mother had loved so much.
After a few minutes, he spoke. “I’m wasting my time.”
“How so?”
“You already questioned the poker group.”
“You felt they might share more with you.”
He shook his head impatiently. “They knew my brother for only a couple of months. What sounded like a good idea when I flew out here is beginning to sound less so.”
Surprised, she studied him, wishing this man would be more open about his thoughts. “You want me to cancel the meetings?”
He shook his head again. “I’ve only got three weeks. I need to use them wisely, and I seem to be blowing them away. The problem is, I can’t think of another line of attack. I want Larry’s killer.”
She ached for him. Her professional detachment insisted on draining away. She couldn’t afford to let that happen. “We should go see Ben again. If you talk with him for a while, something new may emerge. Of all the people who knew Larry around here, he’s the one with the most knowledge.”
“Yeah. I want to see him again, anyway. But I can’t keep spinning my wheels.”
While she sympathized, she also knew something else. “Duke? This isn’t my first murder investigation. I can tell you something you might not like to hear, but it’s the truth.”
“What’s that?”
“Sometimes, however much evidence you think you’ve found, it’s not enough to identify a killer. But then, seemingly out of nowhere, a new piece drops into the puzzle, and you’re off and running. Patience is part of this job.”
After a few beats, he nodded.
Cat also realized she wasn’t going to be able to sit here like this and wait for Matt Keller to show up. She looked at her watch. Four thirty. There was time.
“Why don’t we go to Mahoney’s?” she said. “It’s been a long time since my breakfast, and he makes great BLTs. Maybe have a beer, since I’ve been in that mood since Larry’s murder.”
He was agreeable. In deference to time, they drove in her car.
“I should drive my rental over here,” he remarked. “At least my knees won’t be ramming my chin.”
She laughed. For the first time, it felt good.
THE GUY THEY were working for could only be contacted at night, so the first man had to wait. His call this morning had been dismissed with a brusque “I told you. After 4:00 a.m Zulu only.” 9:00 p.m local time.
That hadn’t made anyone happy, but they had to deal with it. The way they’d spent so much of their lives dealing with whatever happened, whether they liked it or not.
Then the second man let out a “Yesss!”
The other two looked at him. He was still obsessively holding Larry’s cell phone. He waved it. “I found some names and
